Advertisement
Pathologist tells court Starlet Wahu died from forced trauma
02nd October, 2025 11:04 PM
A retired pathologist, Peter Ndegwa, confirmed to the court that he carried out the late Starlet Wahu’s postmortem before he retired from service, where he had been serving since 2005.
Doctor Ndegwa told the court that he performed the postmortem on January 5, 2024, at the city mortuary, and the body was Starlet Wahu Mwangi, who was identified by Julius Njoroge, a brother of the deceased, and Richard Mwangi, a brother-in-law of the deceased.
Appearing virtually before Milimani High Court Judge Alexander Muteti on Thursday, October 2, 2025, Ndegwa also told the court that the exercise was carried out in the presence of Police Constable Nicholas Otieno from Makadara.
“The body of the deceased was of a female of 24 years old who was also in good nutritional status,” Ndegwa told the court.
The doctor also revealed to the court that the deceased had 10 external fingernail markings on the front of her neck.
Additionally, he stated that the deceased had a stab wound on the right thigh just above the knee joint, and her body was severely pale.
According to Ndegwa, the severe paleness of the body comes from having little blood in circulation.
Further, he testified that he found severe blood vessels behind the knee joint and there was bleeding in the skin of the head on the right side.
Ndegwa told the court that he concluded the cause of Wahu’s death was due to forced trauma.
“I concluded the cause of the death of the deceased was bleeding due to forced trauma,” Ndegwa told the court.
During cross-examination by lawyer Samuel Ayora, representing the accused person, John Matara, he asked the doctor if, in his findings, he could tell which hand was used from the fingernail markings, and he replied that he could not really tell.
Lawyer Ayora asked the pathologist if the fingernail noted on the front of the deceased’s neck might have contributed to her death.
Ndegwa’s response was, “They might have also contributed to her death,” Doctor Ndegwa stated.
